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Indeed, from the perspective of Lan Yinzi, Tang San didn't need to spend much effort increasing the age of his spirit rings since he already had ample soul power. However, for Tang San, increasing the spirit rings' age wasn't just about saving a bit of soul power while using spirit abilities. It was about researching the patterns and methods of "increasing spirit ring age and adding internal soul power circulation routes."
On the surface, increasing the spirit ring age seemed to save soul power when using spirit abilities. In reality, it was about adding internal soul power circulation routes, enhancing the efficiency of soul power usage.
This improvement in efficiency was crucial! If the utilization rate of soul power continued to increase, to what extent could it eventually reach? Tang San eagerly anticipated that moment.
However, with the increase in spirit ring age and the addition of internal soul power circulation routes, the skill Fusion Ring, which greatly strengthens individual power and condenses the true form of the martial soul armor, also needed a reassessment of its routes and adjustments in details.
"Take me inside to have a look!" Gu Yuena, who initially didn't care much, began to suspect the high energy quality of the spirit beast illusion after hearing Tang San's description, possibly close to the energy of celestial spirits.
Only the energy of celestial spirits could have such a unique effect, mimicking and creating reality naturally.
"Don't be in such a hurry. Let's finish breakfast first," Tang San laughed. After sending Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, Huo Wu, and Ning Rongrong to their respective outer city jobs, he took Gu Yuena, Lan Yinzi, and Zhu Zhuqing to the starry world, entering the spirit beast illusion space.
Gu Yuena squeezed her small hands, took a deep breath, and her purple eyes flashed with a hint of silver. She thought to herself, "Indeed, the energy here is similar to celestial spirit energy, though slightly lower in quality. But if it continues to develop, this plane might become a world close to the divine realm."
Lan Yinzi and Zhu Zhuqing didn't have the same thoughts as Gu Yuena. They were amazed that their consciousness and mental power combined were just like their real bodies. Their martial souls could attach to their bodies, and their spirit rings could be released, making it feel as real as their physical forms.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, glanced at Lan Yinzi with a question mark on her forehead, "Are you Lan Yinzi?"
Compared to the external Lan Yinzi, the one in the spirit beast illusion looked slightly different. Instead of a pure and lovely beauty, she seemed more like a dignified and beautiful woman, with only about seventy percent resemblance to her real-world appearance.
Tang San slapped his forehead, almost forgetting that Lan Yinzi's situation was different. She had seized a traverser's body halfway through, and it seemed their souls had merged.
However, Zhu Zhuqing didn't mind much, thinking that this place could change one's appearance.
Lan Yinzi felt a bit embarrassed seeing Tang San but still walked up to him, chuckled, and said, "How do I look, am I beautiful?"
"Mom?" Zhu Zhuqing was stunned, suddenly feeling that Lan Yinzi was trying to gain a seniority advantage over Tang San.
"Not as good as Xiao Wu and the others," Tang San replied, slightly annoyed, pushing away Lan Yinzi's hand. He then said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Don't mind her, she's joking. I'll take you to hunt spirit beasts. Their strength is comparable to the same-level spirit beasts in the outside world, perhaps even stronger. This place is an excellent simulation for hunting spirits."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and followed Tang San to a grassland similar to a green plain, where they found a group of shadow leopards.
Upon seeing Tang San and the others, the shadow leopards surrounded them, completely disregarding the soul power fluctuations Tang San and his companions emitted. They were determined to treat them as prey.
"These soul beasts... no, spirit beasts, are indeed foolish. They can't perceive the difference in strength between us," Gu Yuena yawned, showing complete indifference to the group of over twenty shadow leopards.
If these were real-world shadow leopards, they would have sensed the soul power fluctuations and fled immediately, instead of treating them as prey.
Zhu Zhuqing activated her martial soul but didn't use any soul skills. Relying solely on her speed, she tore the twenty leopards apart in one swift move. The leopards' bodies then transformed into pure energy, which was absorbed into Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul, enhancing her spirit ring's age.
Her second spirit ring turned from yellow to purple, reaching the thousand-year level.
Gu Yuena confirmed her suspicion: this energy was a diluted form of celestial spirit energy, but still a rare and valuable resource for soul masters.
Though soul masters couldn't directly absorb this energy to enhance their cultivation due to their low life level, they could inject it into their spirit rings to extend their age, which was beneficial for future breakthroughs beyond level 100.
"How does it feel?" Tang San asked.
"It feels like absorbing a spirit ring again, but with pure energy. This energy is very clean and should enhance the spirit ring's age regardless of the type of spirit beast it came from, right?" Zhu Zhuqing described her experience and shared her thoughts.
"Exactly," Tang San confirmed. "These spirit beasts' energy is very pure. I brought you to the shadow leopards because they are feline spirit beasts, making them easier for you to handle as practice."
"Indeed, I am most familiar with feline spirit beasts," Zhu Zhuqing nodded.
Following Tang San's lead, Lan Yinzi and Zhu Zhuqing hunted many spirit beasts, enhancing their spirit rings' age.
Gu Yuena, not needing to enhance her spirit rings, wandered around like a tourist, observing the place.
"Why are there no plant spirit beasts here?" Lan Yinzi suddenly asked. "There are only animal spirit beasts. Can't plant spirit beasts appear in this spirit beast illusion space?"
"This is an energy plane, different from the real world. Everything here is mimicked using energy. The plants look real but are actually three-dimensional projections without real plants' photosynthesis," Tang San explained. "Compared to animal spirit beasts, plant spirit beasts are harder to simulate. Plants are fundamental to an ecosystem. A complete natural cycle can exist without spirit beasts or wild animals, but not without plants."
"If this world could simulate plant spirit beasts, these ordinary plants would need to function like real plants."
"If that were the case, this world would be closer to allowing physical bodies from reality to enter."
Gu Yuena understood and said, "So, this world isn't real enough yet. Hence, something as crucial to nature as plants can't be mimicked, not even plant spirit beasts."
"Precisely. The spirit beast illusion's imitation of reality is rather rigid, but this makes it stable. Otherwise, we might encounter twisted creatures," Tang San nodded, relieved that this space was a rigid imitation of the real world. Otherwise, the fragments of spirit beast souls drawn from reality could create nightmarish beings reminiscent of the Cthulhu Mythos.
After granting Zhu Zhuqing, Lan Yinzi, and Gu Yuena access to the space, Tang San's primordial spirit returned to his body. He prepared to head to the city's Martial Soul Research Institute to organize the soul power circuits within the spirit rings and skills.
Just as he left his room, he was stopped by two servants...
(End of chapter)